thedrifter
05-07-06, 07:38 AM
May 7, 2006
Military pride on parade
Armed Forces Day fanfare in Bethlehem honors families of two men who died overseas.
By Nicole Radzievich
Of The Morning Call
An hour before the Armed Forces Day Parade began Saturday, George Geiger and his family staked out a front-row seat along Bethlehem's Main Street.
His spot provided a good view of the marchers who were honoring the military in which his son, Christopher, was serving three years ago when he died of a heart attack in Afghanistan.
It also gave Geiger an opportunity to meet the extended family of Marine Pfc. Joshua Klinger, a 21-year-old Williams Township man who was killed in June by shrapnel from a roadside bomb in Iraq.
''We're part of an elite club you never want to belong to,'' said Geiger of East Allen Township . ''It helps to come here, meet others who are going through the same thing and see the support there for our troops.''
For 90 minutes underneath a sunny sky, Geiger got that support from 2,000 marchers from school bands, military groups and community organizations during the third annual parade sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council. The parade is one of three events that the council is organizing in commemoration of Armed Forces Week.
This year's parade was held in honor of the families of Klinger and Army Spc. Frederick A. Carlson IV of Bethlehem, who both died overseas since last year's parade.
Carlson, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania National Guardsman, died March 25 after fellow soldiers found him unconscious in his bed at a base west of Baghdad.
The families rode in the parade and were dropped off to a platform on Main Street to view the procession.
The parade featured an ambulance, firetrucks, World War II and Korean War era jeeps and a Humvee. ''Yankee Doodle Dandy,'' ''The Star-Spangled Banner'' and other patriotic songs filtered from the streets.
Dorothy Niklos, whose son is in the Marines and deployed in Japan, marched as part of the Blue Star Mothers of America, Lehigh Valley Chapter.
''We want to support our troops,'' said Niklos, of Chapman in Upper Macungie Township.
Niklos marched with five other mothers, wearing tan pants, a white shirt, an American flag scarf and a pin bearing a star that represents her son.
About a 1,000 spectators lined downtown Bethlehem to watch the caravan march 11/2 miles from 15th Avenue and Broad Street to the end of Main Street.
Among the marchers was Katie White of Center Valley and her 12-year-old son, Blase Werner, and 4-year-old son, Brady White. Sitting on a blanket their mother had spread out on the grass strip near Broad Street, Brady chattered about wanting to see the ambulances and firetrucks.
Blase's tone was more serious as he anticipated seeing the soldiers and veterans — his role models — march by. A History Channel buff who has toured Arlington National Cemetery and the Gettysburg battlefield, Blase said he cannot wait until he can join the military.
''The Air Force, that's which one one I want to join,'' he said. ''I want to be a pilot.''
Retired Army Col. Bill Harris, president of the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council, said he thought the parade went well. The parade, he said, is not meant to support the war efforts, but rather the troops.
''Every year, I think we bring out more and more people,'' Harris said. ''Maybe next year we'll see the number of people watching outnumber those in the parade.''
nicole.mertz@mcall.com
610-861-3614
Ellie
Military pride on parade
Armed Forces Day fanfare in Bethlehem honors families of two men who died overseas.
By Nicole Radzievich
Of The Morning Call
An hour before the Armed Forces Day Parade began Saturday, George Geiger and his family staked out a front-row seat along Bethlehem's Main Street.
His spot provided a good view of the marchers who were honoring the military in which his son, Christopher, was serving three years ago when he died of a heart attack in Afghanistan.
It also gave Geiger an opportunity to meet the extended family of Marine Pfc. Joshua Klinger, a 21-year-old Williams Township man who was killed in June by shrapnel from a roadside bomb in Iraq.
''We're part of an elite club you never want to belong to,'' said Geiger of East Allen Township . ''It helps to come here, meet others who are going through the same thing and see the support there for our troops.''
For 90 minutes underneath a sunny sky, Geiger got that support from 2,000 marchers from school bands, military groups and community organizations during the third annual parade sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council. The parade is one of three events that the council is organizing in commemoration of Armed Forces Week.
This year's parade was held in honor of the families of Klinger and Army Spc. Frederick A. Carlson IV of Bethlehem, who both died overseas since last year's parade.
Carlson, a 25-year-old Pennsylvania National Guardsman, died March 25 after fellow soldiers found him unconscious in his bed at a base west of Baghdad.
The families rode in the parade and were dropped off to a platform on Main Street to view the procession.
The parade featured an ambulance, firetrucks, World War II and Korean War era jeeps and a Humvee. ''Yankee Doodle Dandy,'' ''The Star-Spangled Banner'' and other patriotic songs filtered from the streets.
Dorothy Niklos, whose son is in the Marines and deployed in Japan, marched as part of the Blue Star Mothers of America, Lehigh Valley Chapter.
''We want to support our troops,'' said Niklos, of Chapman in Upper Macungie Township.
Niklos marched with five other mothers, wearing tan pants, a white shirt, an American flag scarf and a pin bearing a star that represents her son.
About a 1,000 spectators lined downtown Bethlehem to watch the caravan march 11/2 miles from 15th Avenue and Broad Street to the end of Main Street.
Among the marchers was Katie White of Center Valley and her 12-year-old son, Blase Werner, and 4-year-old son, Brady White. Sitting on a blanket their mother had spread out on the grass strip near Broad Street, Brady chattered about wanting to see the ambulances and firetrucks.
Blase's tone was more serious as he anticipated seeing the soldiers and veterans — his role models — march by. A History Channel buff who has toured Arlington National Cemetery and the Gettysburg battlefield, Blase said he cannot wait until he can join the military.
''The Air Force, that's which one one I want to join,'' he said. ''I want to be a pilot.''
Retired Army Col. Bill Harris, president of the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council, said he thought the parade went well. The parade, he said, is not meant to support the war efforts, but rather the troops.
''Every year, I think we bring out more and more people,'' Harris said. ''Maybe next year we'll see the number of people watching outnumber those in the parade.''
nicole.mertz@mcall.com
610-861-3614
Ellie